How to Cut a Cigar

A cigar has two ends – the Foot (already cut) and the Head (sealed and uncut). You will be cutting the head.

Hold the cutter in your dominant hand. Position the cutter between you and the cigar. The cigar should be pointing away from you, with the pre-opened end the farthest from you.

Locate the Shoulder of the cigar, usually about 1/16th-1/2” of an inch from the unopened end. (The shoulder is the point near the end where the curved end of the cigar starts to straighten out)

Position the cigar under the blade at the point where you want to cut it.

Bring the blade down gently onto your cigar at the right point and rest it there for a second (just enough to establish solid contact).

Without losing contact with the cigar, apply even pressure and cut with one swift, motion. (With a clean cut you’re less likely to tear the wrapper or crunch the tobacco, both of which will interfere with your cigar’s burn while smoking. )

Dispose of the small piece of cap you’ve just cut off.

Get smokin’!

Mini Tips

Inexpensive single-blade cutters are widely available and are usually priced at around $3. While this may seem like a bargain, especially for a new smoker not yet ready to ‘invest’ in a quality tool, consider this: an inexpensive cutter may do such a poor trimming job that you’ll end up discarding half your cigar because it doesn’t burn properly.

[…] There are just some things a cigar smoker can’t do without. This is one of ‘em. Sure you can chew off the end of your cigar (like they do in the movies) and just spit it out, but nothing says you’re a true connoisseur better than pulling out your own personal cigar cutter. (Also see How to Cut a Cigar). […]